Automatically-threading loom shuttle



June 3, 1930.- HAD/ms 1,161,611

AUTOMATICALLY THREADING LOOM SHUTTLE Filed May'lO, 1929 mu I /N VENTOFP,

ATTkA/EY Patented June- 3, 1930 mm STATES, PATENT rates HARRY A. DAVISfOF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO DRAPER CORPORA- TION, OF I-IOPEDALE, MASSACHJSETT$, A CORPORATION 01 MAINE AUTOMA'IICALLY-THREAII-ING LOOM SHUTTLE v This" invention relates to automatically threading loom shuttles whereby the shuttle is threaded following a replenishing operation while the loom continues to run.

In shuttles of the automaticallythreading 5 clamp the thread.

type it is-now the usual practice to automatically substitute afresh supply of filling in.

the shuttle when that previously in use-has become substantially exhausted, and in order that the shuttle may be threaded during the loom operation, the end of the new supply of fillingis ordinarily secured to on the'hopper or other convenient support, 'with the result that on the first pick of the shuttle following replenishment the thread passes into the longitudinahthread passage of the shuttle and the latter becomes partially threaded. When the shuttle is picked from the opposite box, the thread passes down to the side delivery eye and the shuttle becomes completely threaded.

It is important that the control of the thread shall be such that on the first pick of the shuttle following replenishment the same character of tension shall be exerted upon the thread as when the shuttle is completely threaded, and that the tension or con trol of the thread shall be such as to conform to the character of the filling in use.

Many efforts have been made to provide the desired control'ofthe filling thread on the first and subsequent picks of theshuttle following replenishment, and in some of such efforts spring means have been employed to Springs, however, will vary in tension in accordance with the size of the thread in use and may eventuallyfail to exert the same character oftension upon the'thread during the entire weavingopere ation.

During the weaving operation the thread is withdrawn from the bobbin and partakes of a swirling motion which is sometimes designated ballooning, and it may occur at 5 times that the thread itself will be either snarled or carry a fluff of fibre.

One of the important features of the presentinvention consists of means for controlling the fillingthread so as to apply the same character of tension thereto on the first pick Application filed Ma 10,

may be clinging 'to the a fixed point 1929. Serial No. 361,868.

of the shuttle following replenishment as is i I present during subsequent weaving, and in connection therewith to modify the ballooning effect and remove any fluff of fibre that filling as it is with drawn from the shuttle. r The'invention and novel features thereof will best be madeclear from the following description and the accompanying drawings of one good form thereof. 1

In, the drawings: a

Fig. l is a perspective view of the leading end of a shuttle embodying the present invention, some of the parts being broken away for illustrative purposes;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section of a shuttlecontaining the present invention taken at the forward end of the bobbin chamber; and

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

The shuttle '1 hasthe usual bobbin chamber 2 in'which the bobbin 3 is supported, and the filling thread a is, as'usual, wound upon the bobbin.

. Forward of the bobbin chamber the shuttle is provided with a longitudinal thread passage which communicates with a side delivery eye 4 and, as'shown, the front end portion of the shuttle is provided with a threading block. chamber 5 in which is secured the threading block 6 having the longitudinally extending thread passage 7,.

The threading character and may by the usual bolt '8.

As indicatedlmore clearly in Fig. 3, the threading-block 6 has a front breast 9 and a rear breast. 10 between which the filling "thread a travels during weaving 011 its way to the side delivery eye.

In the present instance of the invention, there is a scroll 11 extending frontwardly in the thread passage.

The thread block 6 has the outer wall opposite the side delivery eye formed with a recess 12 in which is pivotally mounted at 13 a thread rider capable of movement up and down or substantially in a vertical direction.

The thread rider, as shown, has an arm 14 by which the rider is pivotally connected to be secured to the shuttle the threading block, and at the rear portion of the arm 14 there is a plate 15 which extends transversely of the thread passage between the bobbin chamber and the longitudinal thread passage of the threading block.

The transversely extending plate 15 has its upper edge portion 16 extended laterally and downwardly from the eye side of the threadin g block, thereby forn'iing a guide for directing the filling thread a into proper position for the preliminary threading operation.

The transversely extending plate 15 is provided with a thread opening 17 which extends laterally of the thread passage towards the wall opposite the side delivery eye, and the closed portion of the slot or opening 17 has the contracted eye or thread engaging portion 18.

The construction is such that on the first pick of the shuttle following replenishment, the swirling action of the filling thread a will be guided laterally and downwardly by the edge 16 of the plate into the laterally extending recess or opening 17 and take position i in the thread engaging portion or eye 18 of the plate, and since the thread rider is mounted for movement heightwise of the shuttle, it will be moved by the filling thread a as the latter changes its position during its swirling movement from the end of the filling carrier or bobbin, thereby equalizing the tension on the thread regardless of where the thread may be positioned during the weaving operation. 7

The swirling movement of the thread, or ballooning, will be controlled by the thread rider as it is moved by the swirling or ballooning thread in a direction heightwise of the shuttle, and should any fibre be clinging to the thread as it passes through the thread engaging eye 18 it will be stripped from the thread.

As hereinbefore stated, the plate portion 15 of the thread rider extends transversely of or across the longitudinal thread passage between the rear end portion of the threading block and the bobbin chamber so that as the filling thread a balloons about the end of the filling carrier or bobbin it will be subjected to the controlling influence of the thread rider which is hung upon the thread.

Should the thread between the filling carrier or bobbin and the side delivery eye become unduly slack, the thread rider will take a position as indicated in Fig. 3 and depress the thread below the rear breast 10 of the thread passage, thereby taking up the undue slack by the tortuous course of the thread through the thread engaging eye 18 of the rider and over the rear breast 10 of the thread passage. Thus, regardless of the ballooning of the thread as it is withdrawn from the bobbin chamber, the tensioning efiect will remain'substantially constant owing to the gravitating influence of the rider at the entrance of the thread passage.

It may be desirable at times to vary the mass of the thread rider and consequently its tensioning effect upon the thread because threads of different count require different tensioning means, and to readily accommo date the thread rider to the varying conditions of use, it is provided with a series of openings 19 formed in the transversely extending plate 15 and any one or more of said openings may have inserted therein a soft or malleable piece 20, such, for instance, as lead, which may be secured in any one or more of the openings by a pair of squeezing pliers.

On the first pick of the shuttle following replenishment, the swirling thread will be guided by the surface 16 in a laterally and downwardly extending direction into the substantially horizontal thread slot 17 and be directed to the thread engaging eye 18, thereby imparting to the thread the same tension on the first pick of the shuttle following replenishment as prevails during sub sequent weaving, and as the thread balloons about the end of the filling carrier or bobbin in the shuttle, the con-trolling influence of the rider will break down the ballooning effect and keep the thread from throwing as high as might otherwise be the case in the absence of the rider.

In the embodiment of the invention as shown, the arm 14 of the rider has formed integral therewith the transversely extending plate 15, but it is evident that the arm 14 and plate 15 might be otherwise united, the essential in this respect being that the rider be capable of a substantially vertical movement under the swirling action of the thread as it is withdrawn from the bobbin chamber.

What is claimed is:

1. An automatically threading loom shuttle having a bobbin chamber and provided with a longitudinal thread passage and side delivery eye, a thread rider having a lateral threading slot by which it is hung upon the thread and a thread guiding portion extending downwardly and laterally of the thread passage to automatically direct the swirling thread into the slot on the first pick of the shuttle following replenishment, and means for supporting the thread rider for movement in a substantially vertical direction by the varying positions of the thread as it is withdrawn from the bobbin chamber during weaving.

2. An automatically threading loom shuttle having a bobbin chamber and provided with a longitudinal thread passage and side delivery eye, a thread rider having a portion extending transversely between the bobbin chamber and entrance to the thread passage and provided with a laterally extending thread opening into which the swirling thread is directed on thread is directed on the first pick of the shuttle following replenishment, and means for mounting the thread rider for up and down movement by the varying positions of the thread as it is withdrawn from the bobbin chamber during weaving.

3. An automatically threading loom shuttle having a bobbin chamber and provided with a longitudinal thread passage and side delivery eye, a thread rider having a portion extending transversely between the bobbin chamber andentrance to the thread passage and provided with a laterally extending thread opening into which the swirling the first pick of the shuttle following replenishment and a pivotal connection between the shuttle and thread rider frontward of the transversely extending portion to permit the rider to rise and fall in response to the varying positions of the thread as it is withdrawn from the bobbin chamber.

4. An automatically threading loom shuttle having a bobbin chamber and provided with a longitudinal thread passage and an open transverse passage leading to the side delivery eye that the shuttle may be threaded automatically as the shuttle is picked, a thread rider having a laterally extending thread engaging opening by which the rider is hung upon the thread and a thread guiding portion extending downwardly and laterally of the thread passage to the lateral threadingslot of the rider to automatically direct the swirling thread into the slot on the first pick of the shuttle following replenishment and mounted for movement heightwise of the thread passage by the varying positions of the thread as it swirls from the bobbin chamber, and means for readily varying the mass of the thread rider in accordance with the demands of the thread in use. 7

5. An automatically threading loom shuttle having a bobbin chamber and provided with a longitudinal thread passage and side delivery eye, a front and a rear breast in the longitudinal thread passage, a thread rider having a thread engaging opening extending transversely between the bobbin chamber and rear breast of the thread passage into which the thread passes automatically on the first pick of the shuttle following replenishment and by which the rider is hung upon the thread, and means for supporting the rider for up and down movement relative to the rear breast by the swirling thread as it is withdrawn from the'bobbin.

and having a thread engaging slot into which the thread passes on the first pick of the shuttle following replenishment.

An automatically threading loom shuttle having a bobbin chamber and side delivery eye, a threading block having a longitudinal thread passage, a thread rider pivotally supported by the threading block at a point outside of the thread passage and having a plate transversely of the thread passage provided with a lateral thread engaging opening by which the pivoted rider is hung upon the thread, and a thread guide extending in a lateral and downward direction to guide the thread to the thread engaging opening as it swirls from the bobbin chamber on the first pick of the shuttle following replenishment.

8. An automatically threading loom shuttle having a bobbin chamber and side delivery eye, a threading block having a longitudinal thread passage, a thread, rider pivotally mounted for up and down movement on the wall of the threadingblock opposite the side delivery eye and having a plate crossing the thread passage provided with a horizontal slot with which the thread is engaged and by which the rider is hung upon the thread on the first pick of the shuttle following replenishment.

In testimony whereof, I

name to this specification.

HARRY A; DAVIS.

have signed my ice 6. In an automatically threading loom shuttle having a bobbin chamber and side delivery eye, a threading block having a longitudinal thread passage, a thread rider comprising an arm substantially parallel to the thread passage and pivoted to the threading block, and a plate carried by the arm and extending transversely of the thread passage 

